


The Last Bride

by Unlucky_Neko_Katana



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Purgatory, aftertale, bloodybride, reapertale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27416056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unlucky_Neko_Katana/pseuds/Unlucky_Neko_Katana
Summary: In a place known as Purgatory where no one remember dying, Geno does... And people are giving him to the Reaper as a bride to follow an old tradition.
Relationships: Reaper / Geno
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Sometime in the Lost Time.  
Somewhere far from any living being.  
Cities are lost in a big and thick forest, like those forests in tales where nobody can go out. Some places are brighter than others but any of them is surrounded by a deadly blue mist. Demonic growls can be heard as some mythical beasts can be seen, the Beasts from Hell. People can see for example Helhest, the Death’s horse, a ghost horse with three legs. The Teka-Her, the Egyptian mythical Snake Monster and some other like the Basilic. Nobody knows if there is Cerberus and they are too afraid to find out.  
To explain more, welcome to the Purgatory.   
The cities are composed of Tormented and Lost souls, souls that had to much sins, too much tormented, full of regrets and remorse. None of them remember they are dead, too tormented on their own little person to notice something is off. Too tormented to notice they are already in Hell.   
A French Philosopher named Sartre once said “Hell, it’s the Others.”   
The Reaper, draped in his black bark and misty robe and scythe in hands, come occasionally to take a soul with him. Nobody knows what he does to them. He just comes back for someone else. Everybody fears him…  
*  
One day, a man and a woman were sitting near the entry of their city. The entry the Reaper passed by to take someone. The word had been spread about the Reaper coming back so they both waited for him. Once he is here, they both went to him and invited him in a talk.   
The woman was Sanda and she was here with her brother Dinanatha. They both died saving children in a burning factory and lose their lives in a fire. Why are they here? Regrets. They are too good for their own sake.   
Something caught the Reaper’s eye. Sanda was wearing wedding clothes when she came back. A beautiful and simple white dress and a simple veil. She was smiling kindly at him. The Grim Reaper was so shocked the two people in front of him were talking to him kindly. So he listened to them and their request. Only one:  
“Sanda and I, are thinking you’re lonely. And maybe, a company like a wife would calm this feeling of loneliness.” Said Dinanatha.   
The Death Spirit looked at Sanda and Dinanatha in disbelief. That was something.   
“I don’t know what to say.” He answered.   
“well, yes if you want a company, even a dead person or no if you want to stay lonely.” She said kindly.  
The Reaper went out of the house where all the city was crowded around, holding the hand of a bride. Behind the bride is his brother the Reaper accepted to take with him too. Dinanatha did not want to be alone without his twin.   
Nobody saw the Reaper again for a long time. When he came back, it’s because his wife wasn’t there anymore. So, the cities began to choose a girl they want to dispose of and give her to the Reaper. The girls didn’t have a choice.   
Sadly, the Reaper’s wives didn’t last long. So he came back each time…  
**  
A pained sigh. The only sound heard in this empty room. A black messy dirty cell. There is a tiny little window that let in a ray of sunlight. This cell is more that insalubrious. Cracked wall with mushrooms growing in the cracks and a thin stary of water running down the wall, cracked paint, bugs in the wooden parts. A dirty bucket in corner, a broken table on the other and no bed, nothing to sleep on but a torn blanket.   
On the blanket is a small frame. The frame sounds alive, hard to say when it comes to skeleton monster, and since he’s already dead…   
The skeleton looks desperately at the window. Tears marks can be seen, blood comes out of his mouth and multiples wounds like his right melted eye socket and the bruises on his body. He has a bad slash injure on his torso bleeding too and all he can scent his blood and marrow.  
He stares at the ray of light, tired. He sits against the wall, resting a hand on his slash wound with a painful face. That hurt so much to move so he moves the less he can.  
He jumps as sudden bangs are heard on his iron door cell. A colossal monster dog comes in with his daily plate of food, the only one of the day. He puts it on the broken table and, without even looking at the prisoner, leaves.   
Once sure the guard is far, the skeleton painfully went to his food. He’s starving. He does not have a stomach, but his magic needs some things to regenerate, since it can’t regenerate his body it goes to his magic. He eats this mushroom mash again, eating this since he’s here.   
He never knew why they caught him and put him here. He was minding his own business in his corner when he had been kidnapped and ever since, he is stuck here.  
He feels like dying a second time. He knows he is dead and he remembers how. He never forgot his ancient life. How he died, why he died. He remembered how Papyrus said things will get better because he’s already at the lower floor. But he feels like digging in to fall more.   
“Pa…pyrus…” he murmured into the darkness.   
It’s been a while since he spoke a word. His voice is cracked and his throat hurts. He coughs as he strokes his scarf, thinking about his brother. The only thing that remind him all the time why he is here.  
Filthy Dirty Brother Killer.  
That damned human. Never ending reset-kill circle. Then the skeleton used their determination.  
Bug.  
Disappearance and Hell.  
And now he’s starving in the Purgatory in a cell. Never knew why but he’s been there for very long. He prefers to make himself suffer than giving this pleasure to someone else but guess he doesn’t have this chance…   
**  
He jumps awake when the guard bangs loudly at his door cell. This door open to let enter the guard, and behind someone else. The newcomer, a fat monster comes to him with a smile. His smile grows bigger as he walks toward him. The skeleton can see many emotions who disgust him.   
“he’s perfect, when did you find him?!”  
“a few years ago, sir.”  
“so much time lost… I’m sad I have to give him away…”  
The Master takes the prisoner by his arm and drags him outside. He hurries when he sees a room and the poor skeleton was so weak and tired to keep up that the guy ends up training him on the floor. He enters the room with a smile and lets the poor skeleton fall on the ground.   
“he’s perfect!” exclaims the man.  
They are two women in front of the man, the man’s wife, and daughter. They both scream in front of the skeleton’s state. The younger ran in the next room as the mother ordered maids to heal the skeleton on the floor.   
He had been transferred in the next room and quickly, maids treat his wounds. In the background, he could hear the wife shouting at him. She was not outraged by him being starving and beaten up, but the person was shouting about the way he treated him while he is supposed to take their daughter’s place. He feels like being used.   
The woman arrives beside him and smiles at him. A maid brings a chair for her to sit.   
“hello young one.” She says motherly.  
“hello… madam…” He winces in pain.  
“I’m Malvolia. What’s your name?”  
“Geno.”  
“how do you feel now?”  
“better… I guess…”  
A butler enters the room with a plate of eatable food. He poses it beside the bed before helping Geno sitting. The woman smiles.  
“you should eat. I’ll answer your questions after.”  
Geno nods, looking at her piercing green eyes before looking at the luxurious food put in front of him. The woman is still looking at him. He was starving but has his manners. He takes his time to eat even if he wanted to eat all in a row because he knew she was plotting something and was scanning him and his reactions since they met.  
The lady seems please to see him containing his urge to eat. Another butler comes in with new clothes. They changed him in front of Malvolia, thing that embarrassed him. A wheeling chair had been brought to move Geno around since the Lady don’t want him to be hurt more. They go to the tearoom where the father and the daughter are.   
“Geno, I present you my husband Mephis and my daughter Molly.”  
“nice to… meet you…” his throat still hurt. It’s painful to speak, plus, he noticed he had been wounded near his vocal cords so the doc said it will be complicated a bit to communicate.   
Malvolia sits beside her husband as Molly is on the other couch. Geno, helped by a butler he finds nice, sits on the same couch as Molly. Malvolia speaks first.  
“since you have to manage your voice, my husband will explain you the situation.”  
“you do know the fact of offering a Bride to the Grim Reaper?” Geno nods. “Well our daughter had been chosen. But we don’t want to. So we asked our men to kidnap a lonely girl to replace her.”  
“I’m… boy…” says Geno, horrified.   
“you’re a skeleton. So, you can be both thanks to your magic. It is why you had been kept. To be honest, I didn’t know you were treated that badly, but we’ll change that. You’re living with us and will be the daughter we’ll offer to the Reaper.”  
Geno stares at the couple like it was a joke. But at their head, it was not.   
Okay, now is the time he must think fast. Looking around him are maids and butlers and they are guards and cells. Does he want to go back? No! And the husband will not stop looking at him hungrily. That disgusting pervert. On the other hand, he must be the Reaper’s bride. If he marries him, then he’ll live. And since it is THE Reaper, he can surely answer his questions. Choice easily taken.  
Geno nods to the couple:  
“marry… grim reaper…”  
The Lady looks please to ear that. The daughter lets out a sigh of contentment and the husband… Geno clearly saw how disappointed he is. He must watch him, or he will do something to him.   
She claps her hands happily before coming to Geno to hug him. She is relieved to save her daughter. Geno was embarrassed and does not know how to react.   
**  
Time passes. Nobody knows how much but it counts as some weeks. Geno is in a better health than before, thought his wounds at his legs, torso and right eye are still there. He learnt to wear long dress, so it hides the fact he was not wearing any shoes. Since he is dressed like a girl, he cannot have men shoes and shoes without heels are destined to children. So, he is bare feet. He does not mind being without shoes. He prefers this way.  
The one-eyed skeleton is always seen with Lady Malvolia, both knowing the disgusting obsession of Mephis over Geno. Thanks to the kind butler, Geno avoid thrice being raped and other fantasies. Molly wasn’t the talkative girl, but she was good friend with her replacement. She helped him learning things about manners and gives some tricks.  
Beside Mephis forbid Geno to be friend with them, Geno talked with the maids and butlers. The butler who saved him is a skeleton monster like him. A skeleton he knew by his past life. But he does not remember Geno. He does not have magic either and no memories. But Geno think it’s better that way even if he finds awkward to see Dust in a tuxedo serving him.   
Dust was his boyfriend. He died first and Geno did years after. Dust had been killed by accident by Ink during a battle. Even if Dust doesn’t remember him, he always find a way of protecting him, had thought Geno.   
And for his biggest happiness, Lady Malvolia accepted to make Dust his personal butler.   
**  
Geno is embarrassed. He’s now arms up as the maids are putting on him sexy underwear. Then, they put long socks coming up to his suspender belt, with holes for his toes. Then comes the corset. A white corset with fine red lace on the side making roses patterns. Now Geno is used too but the first times, Dust had too pick him up often because he fainted. The skirt arrives. A very long simple skirt with fake red roses on his side with falling red rubies like blood would fall. Same blood effect rubies on the necklace. He puts on fingerless gloves and a maid hands him a bouquet of thirteen roses, seven red and six whites.   
Because of his skull, putting a veil had been a challenge. He ended up with a silver circlet holding his veil. He wears an eyepatch and a bit of make up at his eye.   
“you’re beautiful…” had say Sir Mephis.  
“she’s gorgeous!” had squeal the maids.  
“you’re perfect!” had exclaim Lady Malvolia.  
“I’ll miss you…” had murmured Dust as he led Geno to the entry of the city where the Reaper would pick him up.   
You’re asking why it isn’t the “father” leading him? Malvolia refused, and we can comprehend why. They had dressed Dust more nicely and he’s now leading the Bride, family behind.   
Dust could feel Geno’s hand gripping his. They never denied they are linked, they somehow knew. But Geno wouldn’t say the truth, knowing how Dust was, with his psychotic crisis and all.   
“we will see each other again Dust.”   
“how can you be so sure?”  
“ask the Reaper. He knows all.”  
A chilling feeling fall on them. In the middle of this chill, Geno could feel a soul in need. Why and how he feels that?... he does not know. But he feels the Reaper’s presence and feelings. Geno begins to walk to the Reaper under citizens’ shocked gaze. Dust follows but a bit in retreat just in case the Death would attack.   
The Reaper’s scythe disappears, and they all see for the first time this Deadly being without his weapon.   
Both the Reaper and Geno stop in front of each other. He couldn’t see Geno’s face clearly because of the veil, but he felt what this one is feeling. Excitement and Relief. Is that a red blush?  
“you’re the new one…” he murmurs with his deep husky hollowed voice.  
“I am…” Geno murmurs.  
The Reaper bows in front of Geno before offering his arm. Geno takes it and wave goodbye to Dust. The butler waves back with a smile, the God watching them quietly in silence.   
He can feel this Bride’s feelings… that’s not usual. Completely unusual… and it seems… this Bride will be a good one like the first…  
Oh boy if he knew.

**  
 **Hey ! Thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story i'm putting Geno and Reaper in !  
Next infos : Dinanatha means _Savior of the Poor_ and Sanda means _Savior of the Mankind_ , I really like to put characters with name that suit them like that !**


	2. Chapter 2

The Reaper silently guide his new bride to a carriage, led by five black smoked horses. Their eyes are fire like, crackling calmly. Geno was intrigued by them. He found them beautiful and dark, liking the effect they gave of freedom with the smoke in opposition of the fact they are attached to the carriage.   
Geno turns his head to Reaper, as he had ghostly touched him to have his attention again. He motioned Geno to enters the carriage with his hand and the bride did. He sat on a side and the Reaper on the opposite. Then, they went. Geno curiously discovered the world.   
“what’s your name?”   
Geno turns his head to the Reaper. He sits correctly and stares at him through the veil.   
“Ge…no... A-and… you?” he says with his hurt throat.  
“Death or Reaper, it depends.” The God frowns at the cracked voice.  
“one… you… pre-fer?” he forces on his voice.  
“First of all, I’m Death.” Geno nods.  
A calm atmosphere fall on them. Geno closes his eyes to prevent staring at his new husband. To be honest, he’s so intrigued in him. He has so many questions for him but now is not the time. He opens his eyes to look outside.   
A bit of time passes as Geno jumps. He turns his head to Death. The God is sitting now beside him, and Geno didn’t felt it. His husband is pulling off the veil on his new wife’s face.   
“a bit rude to not pull it off.” He says jokingly.  
“So...rry… di-dn’t… thought…”  
“it’s okay, sweetheart. You look nice without it.”  
The albinos can feel Death’s finger under his chin and they gently turn his head to the side, exposing his eyepatch. He feels so embarrassed to expose this that he blushes hard, but the Reaper doesn’t seem to judge, just a childish curiosity.  
“what happened?”  
“mistakes... of… past… life…”  
“does it hurt?” Reaper shows his curiosity.  
“not… any…more.”  
The god hums before he leans to gently kiss the eyepatch and smile as he leans back. He quickly understood that his wife remembers his life and is conscious he is dead. That is really interesting.  
“you’ll never be out of here if you keep tormenting yourself, you know? Purgatory is for tormented souls.”  
“can’t… forgive… forget… can’t… carry… on…”  
“you’re not the first one I met that remember… my first wife did, same for her brother.”  
Geno stares at Death with a questioning yet curious face. The god chuckles.  
“that’s a story for another time. For now, you’ll live with me at my place as my wife. Of course, I noticed you’re a guy, but I don’t mind. There will be rules yeah but don’t worry, you can go in every room and all. I have nothing to hide.” He giggles.  
Geno lets out a smile too. He thinks about how hot he is when he smiles.   
“Almost here Master.” Says a voice from outside.  
The God answers by saying okay before turning to Geno and checking him from head to toe. He seems to think about something but brushes it off, under Geno’s questioning look.   
The carriage stops, Death goes out first to help Geno after. They are greeted by masked maids and butlers. The god couldn’t help but smile at the ‘mistress’ title before saying to the staff that Geno is a man. All the staff paled at this. Death quickly add that the next day, they’ll have to go buy male clothes for the new arrived since they were expecting a dame.   
He commands to bring some of his own clothes to dress the new one as he brings Geno to his room. A typic Sans room. A clean and bigger one, with a big library on the side. And the bed is king sized with black sheets on it. There is carpet over the floor, and Geno loves the feeling when he walks on it.  
The god pulls a screen with a lake landscape on it. Dark blue and green landscape with luminous chrysanthemums in turquoise in a mist of the same color. A form is in the middle, she’s holding a lamp.  
“Humans call this spirit a “Lampade”. They are female spirits that walks the night to look for lost souls and guide them out. Their name came from the torches or Lamps they hold to guide.”  
“… Beau… beautiful…”  
“Here some clothes. You will stare at the screen once you’ll be in more comfortable clothes.”  
Geno takes the clothes Death is handing him and nods to thank him before going to change behind the screen. But he quickly comes back to Death, pointing the laces at the back of the under corset. A faint blush appears on the god’s face as he helps the albinos out. Albinos that quickly return behind the screen after.  
Geno finally comes out again. He wears a black t-shirt with black jeans, black socks and well a black vest with a hood. The only touch of colors is Geno’s scarf. Reaper hands him a pair of white slippers that the dead happily wears.  
“thank… you…”  
“you’re very welcome, love. Now, to my personal doctor. Your wounds need a medical attention, as well your throat and, I bet, your eye.”  
Geno only nods after rolling his eyes. Death takes his hand in his and so, go to his doctor. They walk for quite long and Geno discovers how big the mansion is. A whole city can live here.   
They arrive to him. A demon welcomes them. He quickly checks Geno and puts up his diagnosis. The voice will recover with the good treatment. The legs to… but the chest?  
“is the chest wound your cause of death?” he asks.  
Geno nods. The doctor frowns. He asks a few other questions on his death, as surprise as the death being beside him when they listen to Geno. He does remember all.  
“okay… I’m gonna have to discuss about this with a few colleagues. I have a supposition, but I want to be sure… can I call you tomorrow Master Death?”   
“Sure. Call the butlers tomorrow and they’ll give you to me. I’ll will not be at my office tomorrow.”  
“sure thing.”  
The couple return to the part of the house they were. Reaper presents the places, rooms and explains some rules.   
“the most important rule is to not ask the maids and butlers to put down their masks. They are demons trapped under a spell. Since they eat souls, I don’t want them to eat you.”  
Geno shudders and nods. After, Reaper presents his huge library, now Geno’s favorite place. Books everywhere, shelves full of books of Human’s History from the beginning of all… he has things to be busy with.   
His bedroom is next to Reapers and has a door so he can go to his without taking the corridor. He visits more and they stop in the hall. Reaper smiles.  
“I have a surprise for you.”  
Geno looks at him surprisingly and curiously. Reaper signs to the butlers to let someone enter. The doors open to let someone in. Reaper says:  
“I noticed you were close with him. And I know for sure you were linked to him in your past life. So, I asked my butlers to come and get him to be your personal butler. You sure need a friend here when I’ll be out, I don’t want you to be lonely and sadly, my staff doesn’t talk human language.”  
Geno stares in shock at Dust coming toward him in a new butler suit, smiling at him. He bows at his masters.   
“It’s an honor for me to serve the Death’s bride.”  
“Dust will take care of you personally. He will cook for you, bring you food, accompany you every time you’ll go out, everything related to you.”  
Geno nods and smiles at the Reaper happily. Yeah, he is happy. The Reaper can feel his soul pounding just seeing this grateful face to him.   
**  
Time passes. Geno is reading in the big library as Dust is serving him a tea. The albinos is still a bit uneasy with Dust being his butler, more used of the assassin he used to know.   
“have you found anything yet?” asks Dust.  
Geno shakes his head no. Yeah; he is looking for something. Remember the day at the doctor? He called the next day. Incredible… Geno isn’t completely dead… that shocked everyone and that’s why the doctor needed to talk about it with other doctors. Geno is a mystery for the demons and even for Gods.   
Doctors suppose Geno is between Life and Death and that’s why he’s here and not anywhere else and why he remembers his life. His soul and body are separated. Geno’s body is somewhere where souls can’t find it. Normal people can’t either.   
His body is somewhere…  
“Maybe the Determination is keeping his body in this state. His wounds caused here can be healed but not those which are on his real body.” Had said the Doc.   
“So, we have to find his body and?”  
“His soul and body are mostly disconnected but connected enough to not dust. Once we find his body, we have to find a way to reconnect them.”   
**  
“I’m… not dead?”  
“You’re half dead… Somewhere is your body. Your soul is still connected to your body but just a bit so you don’t dust… I’ll look for your body with friends, and I want you to look in the library if you can find anything about connecting your soul back to your body.”  
“I’ll do…”   
**  
Death walks down the corridor to the Library where he knows Geno is in. The albinos is looking through the books, thinking intensely that he didn’t heard his husband enters.   
Geno turns around with a new picked book and drops it directly as he jumps when he notices Death. The god chuckles, sitting on a table.  
“didn’t’… heard.”  
“I saw that. Sorry for scaring you.”  
Geno smiles at him before going to the desk beside the one Death is sitting one. A few papers are there with notes. The god floats above the desk and inspect.  
“nothing… new…”  
“well… that’s a first time we have a half alive person in the Purgatory.”   
“maybe…ask…”   
Geno doesn’t finish his sentence, but he shows Death a book with a figure in. A white furred figure, goat-like with a calming face. Her light robe covers her whole body and she’s holding a young shoot. Reaper stares at the book:  
“you want to ask the goddess of Life? Yeah, why didn’t I think about it?”  
The god calls a butler and tells him to invite the said goddess at the mansion. This butler comes back saying the goddess can come the next day. Death is pleased.  
Geno stops his researches for now, accepting to take dinner with Death in a restaurant in a big city in Purgatory. First time he’ll goes out since Death picked him up from the other place.  
In the city, Geno looks around in awe. The atmosphere around him is grey, dark purple-grey, dark blue-grey with a turquoise mist above the ground. The streetlights are turquoise flames in iron lanterns floating 2 meters above the ground. Faint yellow lights come from shops and houses. This is so magic.  
Monsters and Demons can be seen, like this huge shadow demon walking on his four thin members. Some saluted the Death god, some just fled him.   
They arrive in front of a restaurant, with a wooden façade. A big vitrine shows tables behind with already people inside. A waiter comes and place them near the vitrine. Geno looks outside to stares at this turquoise mist. He shouldn’t be amazed by all this stuff, he’s used to magic… but then again, he’s in Hell with a capital H. As a scientist, he refuted this place. Oh boy he was wrong all his life.   
“Geno?”  
The albinos looks at Death, questioning look on his face. The god smiles and shows the menu.  
“something you want to try?”  
Geno looks at the menu briefly, but too many choices. He decides to take a simple ramen bowl. The waiter comes back and Death commands the dishes. Once the waiter’s gone, Geno looks outside to see a flame floating in front of him. A will-o-a-wisp.   
“interested in pets?”  
“pets?”  
“yeah, will-o-a-wisp are kind of pets here, they don’t burn, they act like dogs, very friendly.”  
“oh…”  
“I have a few back at the house, you can see them once we get home.”  
“gladly…”  
Death smiles as Geno smiles too. When he looks back at the ‘pet’. It was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Geno is sitting in the large library, sipping a tea. He is near the window, looking at some misty spirits playing outside as Death’s wall-o-wisps are looking at the half death curiously. Geno is reading a book about previous wives, book written by the main butler. Dust is beside Geno, looking after him.  
Geno stares at the changing translucid forms outside as he sighs. All the previous wives were… well, really annoying from Geno’s point. Sure, most of them did not want the wedding but the Reaper never made something they did not want. The only thing he did, was to… make them disappear?   
Geno was confused. Not even the butlers knew what happened to the previous wives beside the first and the second. The first just… disappeared. She had found peace and her spirit left the Purgatory. Her brother disappeared shortly after reading a letter from her… the other wives? They were annoying, disrespectful, everyone hated them.   
The second wife were a spoiled rich girl, always wanting things unnecessary. She was horrible toward Death, disrespecting him in every way, always criticizing him and all. Then she began to pick on maids and butlers… and she had pulled off one of the maid’s mask… oh yeah… maids and butlers masks…   
All the staff beside the main butler are low demons controlled by the mask on their face. It prevents them to let go of their instinct and attack people living there. Sure, Death can handle them all, but not his wives nor certain demons serving him like the cooks. And the Curiosity then took the second wife… They were a description about how it happened:  
“Miss Dolores is again picking on a maid, insulting her and even beat her with whatever come to her hand. Since we are forbidden to fight back, we can only watch this poor girl being beating. She almost lost her mask. Miss Dolores had notice. She insulted her again before pulling off the mask, wondering why Death said not to pull off their mask or trying to know. Curiosity got her best and she pulled off the maid’s mask. The maid then… had been eaten by the demon maid.”  
It was explained that Death became violent toward the wives that hated him. Most of them were scared and flee, ending up being eaten by the Purgatory Monsters. Some had been tortured by Death himself… but nobody knew how, how long and how they ended if they had been ended.   
Geno shivers. He really does not want to know what an Angry Death could do… and even if he was not for those treatments… hell, he dated an assassin. He is used to people killing and torturing others. People are made like this and acted to give reason to violence. He has no right to judge, so he does not. And if people attack him, he is sure he will give those beat back. Death always gave time to those women to adapt to their new situation but if they kept attacking him, verbally or physically, he was sure he will act like him… Dust sits beside him.  
“Master Death explained me we’re dead. He explained me a lot of things. And you remember your life and all…”  
Geno looks at Dust curiously, inviting him to sit and continue the talk.  
“He said we knew each other in this past life. Well now, I remember all. I know why I am here. I’m glad you still treat me the same, even if I’m… this… now… wow I passed from Night’s henchman to your butler… that’s ironic.”   
Dust was genuinely curious about all this Purgatory stuff, now he knows he is dead.   
_At the beginning, he did not believe it. Then, he had been hysterical. Remembering all… red, crimson, cherry, burgundy… so many shades of red giving the pattern of his killer life. Sometimes, a greenish turquoise light come to guide him toward another shade… and one day, a light… a white and red light, lonely in a black empty space.  
“Geno…”  
A nickname repeating itself in a spiral of his sins, lost in a mix of madness, illusions and memories. A pure figure blamed by his sins had appear to light this darkness, to guide him, to show him new colors and show him how to live again. He could finally breathe. He could finally live. He could finally feel. That was all matter to him.  
They helped each other. Dust broke Geno’s loneliness. Geno gave Dust a chance to feel normal for once. Dust sees the light. The white of Geno… and a year later, the navy blue of their kid’s eyes, looking at him happily and curiously. That was so good, they both felt so alive… yet all disappeared again... sadly… Geno had lost his family once, and now it is twice. Dust had lost his family twice again… Their killer made sure to hit Geno in his already open scar to kill him… And Dust had tried to protect him…  
They never saw their kid again… they were dead now._  
Dust and Geno were silent when Death came in. Little did he knows what they were talking about and is well aware of them being lovers in their past life. Since they both know now, he just hopes company since love is already taken. That hurt him but it has been a while since a comprehending bride.  
Also, he thinks he knows the kid. There is a kid living at the Negative guardian being’s castle. A castle he often visits to reprimand Nightmare about the killing sprees he loves to do, and so the work he gives him more. A kid with navy blue pupils, very curious, raised by Killer and Cross besides Nightmare’s Hatred for the said kid. Dust is completely dead; he cannot see his son ever again. Geno, if they do right, could see him again.   
“Do you both have any idea where Geno’s body could be?”  
Dust seems to think. Geno’s void would be a good idea to see first. Reaper takes notes mentally on everything they say. The hardest place to investigate will surely be Nightmare’s castle… because they hate each other dearly.   
Dust looks up at the clock and retakes his butler composure. He bows at both before speaking:  
“Lady Life should arrive very soon. Where do I have to lead her?”  
“Bring her here. The maids will soon bring the tea.”  
The butler bows again and goes out to prepare the goddess arrival. Geno sighs, looking at Dust leaving. Death sits beside him.  
“How’s your throat Geno?”  
“better, thank you” he smiles at him kindly.   
Death would love to smile too, so he does a little, but Geno keeps staring at his ex-lover, not knowing dead persons cannot feel anymore. Even if Dust remembers, he can never love Geno again. Death just looks at Geno and his kind self toward him.   
A maid arrives in the library with teas and biscuits. Soon after, Dust arrives, declaring Life arrival. The Goddess smiles at her friend as she enters. Her aura lights the room like she is a little sun herself and her light green dress seems to float. A sweet flower scent can be smell. Both Death and Geno stand, Death presenting a chair to his guest.  
“Dear Life, it has been so long…”  
“Yes, it does, my dear old friend.” She smiles and sits.   
She quickly notices Geno who was sitting back. Well, it is hard to miss him, he is wearing white clothes as everything is dark here. Death smiles.  
“Life, this is the last bride the tormented souls abandoned, Geno. He’s the reason why I asked you to come.”  
Life knew already the matter. Geno is both dead and alive, she can tell it. That is a mystery, an interesting one. She quickly thinks about so many reasons that could happen, but none is able to work…   
“I’m really honored to meet you, Geno, it’s rare one of Death’s brides is actually kind to him…”  
Everyone is uneasy at this statement. Life signs to Dust to verse her some tea as Geno is putting his hand on Death’s arm to ease him from his nervousness. A gesture Life does not miss at all.   
“a dead-alive. I understand why the rush.” She says.   
“A few doctors suppose his body is somewhere. He remembers his life and isn’t affected by some Purgatory spells like the Lost Spell that prevent souls to flee.”  
“Basically, he’s just alive but in a strange state of coma?”  
“maybe.”   
The God looks up to Geno. He was staring at Life curiously. Life is thinking about this whole story too before she raises her hand toward Geno. His whole body glows. Geno panics a bit, not knowing what is happening, but since Death and Life does not do anything, he just says himself it is normal.   
“His body is in the Mortal Realm, you are right. Where? I cannot say. I’m sorry.”   
“At least we know he still has his body and it’s in the good Realm.”   
“But you will have to find it… it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”  
The chat about Geno’s body ends on this sentence. Life and Death chat a bit more before the Life Deity must go. She offers to Geno before leaving, a necklace. When he wears it, he cannot lose himself in the Mortal Realm and will be automatically near Death. Like a magnet.  
The day goes on smoothly. Death stays with Geno at the library. He helps the half-dead looking for clues and how he can find his body. But then, the God was curious. Does he remember the guy who killed him and Dust? He does remember a lot of this but never said things about the guy who killed him. But then, something clicks in his mind.   
… he knows who killed Dust and Geno, it is so obvious…   
Death thinks about it, as Geno notices the thinking face the god has. He sits patiently, waiting for Death to finish. He eats a biscuit and stares at Dust. His neutral face, his neutral movements… like a puppet. What happened to his Papyrus Ghost parasite? Geno remembers hating the ghost. It always bullied Dust because he did not kill him. It was a nightmare living.  
The Deadly Deity looks up to Geno. He has an idea on where Geno’s body is. He does not know why, but he may have the where.  
“Geno. How about we go in the Mortal Realm tomorrow?”  
“Why?” asks Geno, looking back at him.  
“I may know where’s your body.”   
**  
The day after, Death informs everyone that he and Geno are out for a moment. He brings Geno against him, having a slight smile on his face when Geno stays in his embrace and grips his clothes. They teleport away.   
Dreamtale. Geno closes his eyes and hide his face in Death clothes. It has been very long since he last saw the sun, so it took time for him to adapt. When he opens his eyes, he finds Death smiling slightly at him, waiting for Geno to readapt to the sun. The weirdest thing for him is his translucid body. He looks at his hand curiously.   
“You’re still a soul, so people won’t see you and you can float.”   
Geno smiles slightly. He can still touch Death and it was enough for him. He successes to float for his fun and is floating a bit around the god before he notices a big dark castle not far from there. He immediately recognizes Nightmare’s castle since he saw it through Dust’s portals.  
“you think my body is at Nightmare’s castle?”  
“Not only your body.”  
“I don’t understand, Death.”  
“you will, come.”  
He floats to the castle, Geno behind. The ghost shivers, not feeling good near this castle. The god scoffs as Nightmare opens the door, not letting the god knocking. Nightmare seems pissed off, Horror and Red in the wall behind him. Guess they did some prank on him again. Nightmare glares at the Reaper.  
“what do you want?” he says hardly.  
“Again, you can’t control your pulsion. I said you to stop your killing sprees.”  
“and what are you gonna do? You can’t kill me.”  
The Reaper smirks and teleports behind Nightmare. He floats around the rooms like it is his own house. He signs to Geno to look around too as he handles the Negative King. Nightmare is angrier to see the god invades his castle, not knowing a ghost is visiting too. Once Geno gone, Death stares at Nightmare.  
“So… where does the kid come from? I know he isn’t Cross’s.”  
“Why the sudden interest?”  
“Always have. But now, I have two souls living at my house I brought from the Purgatory.”  
“two souls?”  
“Dust and Geno.”  
“you know it’s their kid?”  
“and I know you’re their killer.” Death says menacingly.   
To support his cold deep voice, his deadly aura spread. His scythe appears too, and he floats higher to weight over Nightmare. The Guardian shudders but glares with all his hatred to not show how much the reaper can be scary even for him. The reaper stops really close to Nightmare.  
“I know you killed them. Even if for Dust, it was an accident, right?” Death smirks.   
He floats still but back a little. He knows why Nightmare did that. And Nightmare pales when he realizes that Death knows indeed.   
“How cute. This is the reason why you take care a bit of the kid instead of killing him?”  
Tentacles shots toward him to silent him… but are dodged. Geno’s ghost comes back. He found his body to his greatest shock. But Geno is crying, it is cool to be a ghost… but how can it be cool if your son cannot see you? He is happy to see him, how he had grown…   
Death’s smile flattered. It breaks him to see Geno crying. He opens his arm so Geno would come to comfort and he does. Nightmare understands at this moment that there is a soul with the god. And when the God teleports, Nightmare sees for a fraction of second a very known figure. A crying face. A broken face.   
The face of a mother who cannot interact with his son. The face of the person he wants to kill so often but finds out he cannot. The person who gave the life to this kid he cherishes more than he wants to admit for the simple reason he is also the kid of the only person he loved.   
That angered Nightmare the most. He shouts in rage and frustration. He shouts in shame to have failed his plan, sadness, so much negativity… under the gaze of a kid who’s asking himself who was the kind ghost smiling so sweetly at him.


	4. Chapter 4

Geno is sipping his tea silently in his room near the fireplace. He stares at the turquoise flame projecting its unreal colors to the walls, thinking about his son. He is not sure if he did saw him or not, but they definitely shared a stare. It has been so long…   
The kid had grown so much. He was a baby when Geno and Dust died. He still has his big navy-blue pupils, neutral stare like Dust’s but still this glint of curiosity. Now he was like, a teen, thirteen years. He was wearing a very long dark blue hooded cloak, black fingerless gloves, a large white shirt showing his collarbone and his first ribs, a chocker, black skinny pants and large ranger like shoes. On his white belt can be seen a kitchen knife hanging there. Last thing, a red fabric was wrapped around his left forearm.  
Geno still stares at the fire, trying to enumerate in his head all the moments of Mystery he missed. First steps, first words, first magic tricks… Nightmare took him so many things, the firsts being Dust and Mystery. Does he treat him well? Is he happy?  
Death enters the room and sits on the couch in front of Geno. The half dead acknowledge this and stares at the God. He sighs and murmurs.   
“I never thought… I could see him again…”  
“You understand now? Not only your body”  
“Yeah. Thank you, Death. Now I know what he looks like older.”  
“What’s his name?”  
“We named him… Mystery…”  
“Cute name.”  
Geno smiled to Death’s joy. They chat together, before dinner was served. There, they discuss of the Purgatory and the Dead Realm in general. Geno spoke his regrets of leaving his son at Nightmare’s castle. That he did not knew him, but Dust would not let him there. Not a place for a baby. Death could not disagree, but at the same time, Nightmare surprisingly took good care of him. Mystery did not seem bullied by the others, not beaten and Death had saw Nightmare almost kill Fell for hurting this kid when he was younger.   
By the chat, Geno confirmed that Nightmare’s presence had triggered him in a way, that he fears him, but could not find out why. And the fact he kept his body is confusing. The god sighs before explaining. Explaining Nightmare’s sort of love toward Dust, his stalking, and the murder after Mystery birth.   
“Nightmare wanted to kill you. Dust took the hit to protect you. He killed you after nonetheless… but he could never kill Mystery. He saw Dust in him.”  
Geno could not say something. Say what? He did not recognize his murderer, and this same guy is keeping his undying body and his son.   
“So we know where’s your real body. Now, we have to take it to a safer place and find a way to bring back your soul in.”  
Geno took a few minutes before nodding, still processing the whole thing. He really has troubles to accept this. Nightmare killed him… well failed but look at him. His soul and body are separated.   
Death stopped the chat. He decided to take Geno somewhere else to change his mind. He brings him to a place he did not knew about in the manor. A room containing a reproduction or Outertale’s space and constellations. Geno just sits in awe and stares at it.   
“I’m surprisingly good friend with the Destroyer, Error. When he’s too injured, I bring him here to relax and so Ink can’t take advantage of him when he can’t.”   
“It’s beautiful here. Reminds me of where we went with Dust.”  
“Pretty sure it’s the same universe” he says with a smile.   
“You’re friend with Error?” Geno asks curiously.   
The glitch was well aware of his link with the destroyer. That He’s the previous Geno and himself is the next Error if something happens again. He knows too well a little detail can change everything again. A code, an only one can change another and here is the butterfly effect.   
“Yes I am. We broke each other’s loneliness by being good friends. Well beside Blueberry who’s also his friend.”   
“I heard this story. Dust told me; Nightmare was glad a Star Sans was friend with a Bad. Even if Error is not part of the group, he is considered as one. I chatted with him twice I think.”  
“That’s surprising. But I’m glad to know.”  
Death smiles, happy to see that Geno and Error are kind of friends. He was going to ask Error’s help for Geno’s case. And once Geno return in his body, Death could not keep him here so maybe Error will accept to keep him with him.   
“You know, Death, I’m aware of my link with the Original Sans and Error.”  
“Link?”  
“I have a ninth of the original’s soul. Using too much DT led me at this glitching state. Trying to have my life back will provoke a bug and I’ll change to be an error… see what I mean?”  
“Error is not a creature popping from nowhere. He is a sort of evolved you?”  
“Yes. Like Pokémon.”   
A giggle comes out from Death, not expecting this comparison. Geno smiles too, saying that the funny comparison is a way to put it into perspectives. Dust enters the room announcing someone has arrived. Death raises a brow and Geno stares at Death, surprised.   
**  
In Nightmare’s castle, it has been literal Hell since Death’s visit. The Guardian was so pissed off than everyone in the mansion had fled. Everyone but Mystery. He did not see the point of leaving if Nightmare was doing a breakdown again. He was staring at him during a long time before he finally decides to go calm him down. Using his magic, he pins Nightmare to the ground, who now notices the teenager. The Guardian instantaneity calms down, thinking again on how Mystery looks like Dust so much.  
“you’re calm now?” Mystery asks like an angry mom.  
Nightmare says nothing but glares at him. The magic pinning him disappears so he can sit. Myst leans again the doorframe, crossing his arms.  
“care to explain why you’re having one again?”  
“No.”   
Mystery stares at Nightmare with narrowed eyes. Then all the pieces got together. The ghost, the god of Death and his breakdown just after.  
“This is linked to the ghost I saw, the skeleton with the glitch over the eye socket?”  
Nightmare flinches but nods. He grits his teeth and stands after. He signs by his head to Mystery to follow him. As they walk in the corridors, Nightmare stares at the nothingness.   
“You know no one here is your real parents.”  
“Yeah. But one of them was from the group. Dust from the previously named Murder trio with Horror and Killer.”  
“Yeah. Your other parent’s name is Genocide, Geno for short. You must have heard the name.”  
“Killer said it was my dad’s mate so I kinda figured out.”  
“Dust is dead, but Geno is alive. Being a glitch saved him. Actually, his body is here as his soul is with Death.”  
Mystery stops walking and so Nightmare does when he sees him stop. Mystery puts his hand on his scarves wrapped arm, where a bit of Dust’s scarf and a bit of Geno’s are wrapped and looks at Nightmare with a dark stare.  
“I know that you killed them both too.” Nightmare opens his mouth, but Mystery cut him. “At least tried for my Mom. But since you raised me like your own offspring, I cannot really kill you in return as a thank, because you had no reasons to do so, but you did. You raised the kid the guy you loved had with someone else.”  
All Nightmare’s appendages fall lifelessly on the ground. He sighs and walks again in the corridors, dragging his tentacles as he says: “I don’t even know why I raised you. I just did.”  
Mystery stays silent as he follows Nightmare. His blue pupils did not stop staring intensely at his adoptive parent who seemed more lower than the ground at the moment. But at least, Nightmare is calmer and does not seem like he will kill everyone now.   
“I think you raised me because you wanted a kid. Someone to love you when nobody else would. And what is more powerful than a kid’s love for his parents? You did not find someone as a lover…” Nightmare stops again to look at Mystery, who continues. “And when you killed my parents and saw me, you saw there a chance to have this someone who’ll never hate you. At least for a time… until I found out what you did. But you know what? I can’t hate you, I don’t know my parents.”  
“But you will. Death will find a way for Geno’s soul to come back.”  
“I keep in mind the fact you raised me like a normal dad and not the sadistic and cruel known Negativity king of Nightmares. You protected me from the others, you made me learn magic and to defend myself, you personally homeschooled me, you forced yourself more than once into a passive form to give me a semblance of childhood by going out for an ice cream, books etc.”   
What Mystery did not saw is the tear coming out of the tar covered eye socket. What he said, Nightmare never thought he would.   
“I think you made amend. And Death is part of the Life circle. I will never meet my real dad, but I know what it is to have one. Even if I’ll never really know how he would act toward me. I guess I do not have to complain.”  
Nightmare walks to a door Mystery always knew locked. The older opens it with his magic and the teenager discovers behind the door, a bedroom. A simple bedroom in faded purple and blue colors. Some walls were cracked by claws like marks and what seemed blasters attacks. The curtains were faded colors too because of the sun, but it is still dark in. On a desk were a knife stabbed in and a picture in a picture frame showing two persons. Dust and his brother Papyrus.  
“Is this, my dad’s bedroom?”  
Nightmare nods before turning toward the bed. On it, a frame can be seen under the covers. Geno is there. He seems to sleep. Mystery approaches him quietly before he sits on the side of the bed, looking at him.  
“My glitches came from him…” he states. He stares at the big slash on Geno’s chest, as well the hole at the place of the soul. He knew from Error himself the story of his mother. The original, the kid, genocides… Glitches.   
The glitches were a big question for Mystery. He could glitch himself to go through walls or the ground, those glitches could harm people when he is pissed. That scared him. Nightmare then introduced him to someone who is glitching too. Error the Destroyer.   
Error lived alone in the Void with his daughter Altaïs. She is a bit younger than him. Error and Altaïs glitch like him. He thought for a time they were his family, but he discovered someone else glitched too but was killed. His mother, an alternative of Error. They are still his family because he does not have another. They taught him to control the glitches and it was fine now.   
“Yeah, you have… but you look even more like Dust…”  
“I know.”  
They both stare at Geno’s body on the bed quietly. Mystery felt uneasy by seeing this soulless body. That was awkward.   
“Is uncle Error aware of this?” asks Myst, pointing Geno.  
Nightmare shakes his head no. Nobody knows but Death. And the guardian wants it to stay like this. Looking at Mystery confirmed him the teen wants to talk about this… he must do to pass over.   
“Come here. I’m bringing you to someone.”   
Nightmare open an arm for Myst to come to him. The teen does and they both teleport somewhere. They appear in a very bright place, making Nightmare groans in discomfort and Myst must had a time to adjust. He looks around him curiously as Nightmare walks straight to a full bloomed rose made arch. The kid runs behind the negative to see, from the arch, a tall Toriel.   
The Toriel raises her head toward the newcomers and frowns when she spots Nightmare. The guardian raises both his hands in a surrender sign before pointing the kid.  
“I am sorry to face you, Life, but I have a favor to ask you for the kid here.”  
“Say it.” She says with a wary glance.  
“His name is Mystery. He’s Geno’s son.”  
Life stands up the second after Nightmare spoke. She floats to them graciously like a leave transported by the wind to them. Her drapes still float as she stares at Mystery and kneels to be at the same heigh. She looks at Nightmare.  
“How much does he knows?”  
“Everything. The killing, Geno’s state… Death… all. I think he should talk with Death and Geno. Death first.”  
Life inspects the boy. She discovers he is a glitch too, inherited from Geno and so Death is more abstract to him than a normal being. He can definitely survive a travel to the Purgatory.   
“You knew he is like Geno and that he may survive the trip to Death’s mansion.”  
“I had suspicions but thanks to confirm. Mystery had shown since he is a kid a great power and capabilities to manipulate glitches. His are different. Maybe Death can figure out why.”  
“I’ll bring him to them. Death will bring him back to you.”   
Nightmare says nothing and teleports away after patting Mystery’s head. Life smiles at him before it goes to worry. After a full questioning on the way Nightmare raised him and a very long time explaining on the fact he had been well raised and that Nightmare can show kindness and love, she finally brings Mystery to Death’s house.   
Mystery almost fainted when they arrived in the Purgatory. But it was for a very short time. Dust opened the door and was shocked to see Life with a kid. He led them to Geno’s room when he knew the married duo were. So he knocked at the door and opened it. He declared their presence to their shock. A wider shock is seen when they saw Mystery, alive, beside Life, staring at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mystery Drawing made by me : https://twitter.com/UnluckyNekoKat/status/1349283235675713536


End file.
